Pilimai

PILIMAI

All Main Image Stalks Internodes Buds Leaves Flesh Growth

Main Image

'PILIMAI' ('‘Akilolo Ke‘oke‘o')

Status: No Known Specimens

Background information: Pilimai literally means "come this way, come hither, or cuddling." An alternative name is '‘Akilolo Ke‘oke‘o,' meaning "white ‘‘Akilolo.'" Another synonym found in the HSPA original collection is '‘Uala-Kauai', meaning that when collected on Kauai this cane was referred to as '‘Uala.'

Historical Description: The cane was said to be the yellow-green mutant of '‘Akilolo' and to be very similar to '‘Uala' in appearance except that the eyes are not opposite but at the "4 o'clock position." Moir reports that this mutation is one of the most common among Hawaiian canes.

Stalks

The stalks were bronze-yellow, yellow-green, or olive-yellow with red sunscald patches.

Internodes

The internodes were cylindric, the wax bloom sparse, the wax bands prominent, the bud furrow strongly marked, and the growth rings green and tumescent. The root bands, 6–7mm high, were green with 3–4 rows of crowded eyes.

Buds

The buds, 15x11mm, were green and ovate with a round-pointed tip. The wings were reddish, medium broad, fringed, and inserted below the middle of the bud.

Leaves

The leaves were long, smooth, and broad. The dewlaps are ascending ligulate, and both auricles were transitional.

Flesh

The flesh was dark brown.

Growth

The stalks were large. Ka‘aiamanu states that “the characteristic of this kō is its thickness [in growth] (‘āpupupu).”

Information

Status: No Known Specimens

Background Information: ‘Ainakea literally means “white (kea) pith/bagasse (‘aina)” or “white land (‘?ina).” According to Fornander this name refers to a particular episode in Hawaiian mythology: K?‘ula and K?ne, two powerful akua, practiced their sorcery on the people of Honua‘ula, Maui, and left the bodies of the dead strewn about and exposed. The duo added further insult by snacking on sugarcane grown by the victims to quench their thirst; since this time the cane has been called ‘Ainakea in reference to the white bones left bleaching in the sun. However, many l?‘au lapa‘au sources indicate that the name refers to the flesh of the cane, which is said to be the whitest of all Hawaiian canes – a particularly rare trait for a dark-skinned variety. An alternative name, Laenihi, refers generally to high-headed labroid fish of the genera Hemipteronotus and Iniistius. Another name, P?kea, is a quantifying term applied to Laenihi that refers to a whitish coloration and was used to denote a specific species of fish. ‘Ainakea was one of the few canes used in medicinal concoctions by the kahuna h?h?, and was important in the treatments for p?‘ao‘ao, ‘ea, hilo, and waiki.

Historical Description: ‘Ainakea is said to be [DE1] one of the prettiest Hawaiian canes, similar in appearance to ‘?hi‘a when it is young but lightening in color as it grows. It was often said to be one of the best-producing native cane varieties and was popular cane home gardens, particularly in dry and lowland areas.

Stalk Color

The stalks are described by Moir as “maroon-red and striped with apple-green when young, and changing to purplish-red and yellow when mature”; by Fornander as “red with long white stripes”; and by Spencer as “a ribbon cane, green and purple.” Alternatively, Ka‘aiakamanu compares it to Manulele (a striped cane), and states that the stalks were “dark reddish as the p?polo liquid.”

Authored by: Noa Kekuewa Lincoln.
Please properly cite any use of information or graphics from this page.

Lincoln, N. (2017) Kō: An Ethnobotanical Guide to Hawaiian Sugarcane Varieties.
Retrieved from: http://cms.ctahr.hawaii.edu/cane/Home.aspx